Evening workout again--tomorrow, back to mornings...
I just polished off a banana-date milkshake; probably too carb-y for the evening snack, and I'm not sure I'm going to bomb my system with that much sugar again. Sweeter than just about anything you could find at Ben & Jerry's. I would have taken a picture, but was simply enjoying it too much.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Day 20 and the last week
Long time, no write.
Fortunately, not the case for the workouts--or the diet. Both continue strong, overall.
Meditation is about the same--lots of buzzing thoughts, and still a struggle to not get caught up in them--or not get caught up in the struggle to not get caught up in them. Every time I feel like I'm straying from the 'present' path, I try to focus my attention back on the breath. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it sucks. Either way, I'm trying to break the habit of 'judging' or 'rating' the session or, worse, berating myself for not focusing enough--I feel like that sort of defeats the purpose.
Today was probably the biggest test of the diet thus far--our department director's 'retirement'/(not really) 'going away' lunch. (In fact, she's transitioning to another role, but will still be engaging in many of the same activities with our team). At one point, our conversation in my part of the room turned to weird things everyone has eaten. I'll spare the stories from overseas (e.g., pancakes with extra 'protein'), but I've now added elk to the list of meats I'd like to try.
And since this is the good 'ol US of A, every transition must be celebrated...
...with tons of carbs and sugar. Unfortunately--or, fortunately?--I didn't snap any camera-phone pics of the ginormous chocolate chip cookies and red velvet cake, all washed down by litre after litre of sugary soda. That was just dessert; lunch was pizza--from Pizza Hut. I stuck to my guns, and stuck with the fruit salad (as my morning fruit snack), then ate a later lunch of sauteed ground bison, steamed squash, and quinoa. (It was easy to avoid Pizza Hut; I worked there in college and, like the red Everclear Kook-Aid that I drank to near oblivion sophomore year, I've already consumed enough for one lifetime, and will never go there again). I've been pretty open about the diet; it's actually easier this time around, since most of my colleagues have already seen me drop my first 25 lbs or so during the PCP (sorry, can't resist a little bragging--it still amazes me...) I just tell them I'm doing another diet/exercise thing, they make a mental note--but hopefully not to avoid inviting me to happy hours, where I'll merrily drink water and socialize.
The workouts have proved a bit more challenging over the past 6 days. I started off the jump-kicks with a little too much gusto, and suffered a small muscle pull. Running 4 miles with a friend later in the weekend was probably not the wisest move, either. I've laid off the Aikido all week, just to play it safe, and I rotated my workouts to evenings, allowing me to sleep in until 8:00 a.m. I also stopped at 6 sets of kicks during work-outs the past two days, rather than the full 8--again, just to play it safe.
It seems to have worked; I just knocked out Day 20, flying kicks, punches, sucky stretches, and all, and the leg bicep has held up fine. Otherwise, push-ups, pull-ups, dips, V-sits--all completed to the max.
Flexibility is still the challenge. And since I'm desk-bound much of the day, I recently resurrected my stand-up desk:
I figure since I'm trying to become more flexible, I can use every advantage. Toward that end, I'm also hoping to add several longer sessions of wide-angle (forward bend?) to my weekly routines.
All in all, I'm starting to notice subtle changes--my balance feels better; I can much more easily stand on one leg while doing my set of shoulder/arm warm-ups before the work-out. I've also been 'surfing' on the Metro a lot more--that is, just standing and focusing on my center of gravity to stay upright, rather than grabbing one of the germ-infested overhead hand-rails.
So the gonfu keeps getting a little stronger.
Fortunately, not the case for the workouts--or the diet. Both continue strong, overall.
Meditation is about the same--lots of buzzing thoughts, and still a struggle to not get caught up in them--or not get caught up in the struggle to not get caught up in them. Every time I feel like I'm straying from the 'present' path, I try to focus my attention back on the breath. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it sucks. Either way, I'm trying to break the habit of 'judging' or 'rating' the session or, worse, berating myself for not focusing enough--I feel like that sort of defeats the purpose.
Today was probably the biggest test of the diet thus far--our department director's 'retirement'/(not really) 'going away' lunch. (In fact, she's transitioning to another role, but will still be engaging in many of the same activities with our team). At one point, our conversation in my part of the room turned to weird things everyone has eaten. I'll spare the stories from overseas (e.g., pancakes with extra 'protein'), but I've now added elk to the list of meats I'd like to try.
And since this is the good 'ol US of A, every transition must be celebrated...
...with tons of carbs and sugar. Unfortunately--or, fortunately?--I didn't snap any camera-phone pics of the ginormous chocolate chip cookies and red velvet cake, all washed down by litre after litre of sugary soda. That was just dessert; lunch was pizza--from Pizza Hut. I stuck to my guns, and stuck with the fruit salad (as my morning fruit snack), then ate a later lunch of sauteed ground bison, steamed squash, and quinoa. (It was easy to avoid Pizza Hut; I worked there in college and, like the red Everclear Kook-Aid that I drank to near oblivion sophomore year, I've already consumed enough for one lifetime, and will never go there again). I've been pretty open about the diet; it's actually easier this time around, since most of my colleagues have already seen me drop my first 25 lbs or so during the PCP (sorry, can't resist a little bragging--it still amazes me...) I just tell them I'm doing another diet/exercise thing, they make a mental note--but hopefully not to avoid inviting me to happy hours, where I'll merrily drink water and socialize.
The workouts have proved a bit more challenging over the past 6 days. I started off the jump-kicks with a little too much gusto, and suffered a small muscle pull. Running 4 miles with a friend later in the weekend was probably not the wisest move, either. I've laid off the Aikido all week, just to play it safe, and I rotated my workouts to evenings, allowing me to sleep in until 8:00 a.m. I also stopped at 6 sets of kicks during work-outs the past two days, rather than the full 8--again, just to play it safe.
It seems to have worked; I just knocked out Day 20, flying kicks, punches, sucky stretches, and all, and the leg bicep has held up fine. Otherwise, push-ups, pull-ups, dips, V-sits--all completed to the max.
Flexibility is still the challenge. And since I'm desk-bound much of the day, I recently resurrected my stand-up desk:
I figure since I'm trying to become more flexible, I can use every advantage. Toward that end, I'm also hoping to add several longer sessions of wide-angle (forward bend?) to my weekly routines.
All in all, I'm starting to notice subtle changes--my balance feels better; I can much more easily stand on one leg while doing my set of shoulder/arm warm-ups before the work-out. I've also been 'surfing' on the Metro a lot more--that is, just standing and focusing on my center of gravity to stay upright, rather than grabbing one of the germ-infested overhead hand-rails.
So the gonfu keeps getting a little stronger.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Day 15 and the week gone by
It's been a busy week, and as with the previous 90-day endeavor, scheduling workouts has proven to be the week's challenge.
I usually like to do the workouts in the mornings. First, it's a great way to start the day (cliched, yes, but true), and second, it sucks trying to force them in at night, when I'm getting tired, hungry, bitchy, and generally not my best self. (Imagine those 'Snickers' commercials, where one of the group turns into diva/rock star/acclaimed-film-director-cum-pain-in-the-ass). Unfortunately, after my visit to see Jenny off to Africa, I apparently ate or drank something (the humus? The tap water in Philadelphia, aka 'Philthydelphia'?) that turned my stomach in knots. No Peace-Corps-esque ceremonies worshiping the porcelain gods, but enough to put my sleep schedule totally out of whack for the rest of the week.
Luckily, that was all that was out of whack. I stuck with the diet like a champ; only once did I have to cave and stop at a store for some carbs with lunch (a croissant; less grams than called for, but probably a lot more butter & salt). Otherwise, I'd already had the foresight to cook & weigh all of my breakfasts & lunches, and managed to nail all of my dinners, as well. Lots of cooked ground bison; organic, free-range chicken breast; steamed veggies (carrots, potatoes, beets, & sun-chokes); whole-grain bread; and mesclun salad with carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, avocado, & cucumber.
Work-outs the rest of the week were good. Yesterday's wide-angle forward bend was not quite as pathetic as last week's, though I did use a pillow, and spent most of the time propping myself up, with my arms behind me. I did manage one small stretching victory--I was able to grab my toes on the elevated groin stretch on Day 9. A first in I-don't-know-how long. Since I'm a few grade-levels behind in the flexibility department, I'm wondering if there is any 'extra' stretching I can do. 5 minutes of forward bend while I read the morning news?
I went to Aikido last Sunday, but haven't been back since. One of my classmates was, uh, somewhat hard-core, and I felt like I pulled something in my shoulder. (I also got to class late, and probably didn't warm-up as much as I could have). Nothing major, thankfully; the soreness went away after a day or two, but I didn't want to take chances and over-do it. I hope to be back for class tomorrow morning.
I pulled a 12-hour day yesterday to try to get a draft of a handbook section done for work, so today was 'catch-up day.' After last night's workout, I literally unplugged my alarm clock, took out the batteries, and let myself sleep as long as I wanted to--which turned out to be about 9 hours.
And I finally got to the challenges today. So, for the record:
1. 12 hits with the ping-pong ball.
2. 'Cold,' morning forward bend: finger-tips 2/3 of the way down my shins. (Ugh.)
3. Standing jump: 8 feet and 8 & 5/8 inches (2.657 m).
Meditation seems very 'hit' or miss; if I'm tired or have something planned post-work-out, then my thoughts tend to drag me along for whatever ride they are on in the moment. Since it's getting cold again, I'll probably split up the work-out & stretching/meditation, taking the latter back inside where it's easier to relax--and avoid frost-bite.
Now to catch up with the rest of the team--hopefully everybody had a solid week!
I usually like to do the workouts in the mornings. First, it's a great way to start the day (cliched, yes, but true), and second, it sucks trying to force them in at night, when I'm getting tired, hungry, bitchy, and generally not my best self. (Imagine those 'Snickers' commercials, where one of the group turns into diva/rock star/acclaimed-film-director-cum-pain-in-the-ass). Unfortunately, after my visit to see Jenny off to Africa, I apparently ate or drank something (the humus? The tap water in Philadelphia, aka 'Philthydelphia'?) that turned my stomach in knots. No Peace-Corps-esque ceremonies worshiping the porcelain gods, but enough to put my sleep schedule totally out of whack for the rest of the week.
Luckily, that was all that was out of whack. I stuck with the diet like a champ; only once did I have to cave and stop at a store for some carbs with lunch (a croissant; less grams than called for, but probably a lot more butter & salt). Otherwise, I'd already had the foresight to cook & weigh all of my breakfasts & lunches, and managed to nail all of my dinners, as well. Lots of cooked ground bison; organic, free-range chicken breast; steamed veggies (carrots, potatoes, beets, & sun-chokes); whole-grain bread; and mesclun salad with carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, avocado, & cucumber.
Work-outs the rest of the week were good. Yesterday's wide-angle forward bend was not quite as pathetic as last week's, though I did use a pillow, and spent most of the time propping myself up, with my arms behind me. I did manage one small stretching victory--I was able to grab my toes on the elevated groin stretch on Day 9. A first in I-don't-know-how long. Since I'm a few grade-levels behind in the flexibility department, I'm wondering if there is any 'extra' stretching I can do. 5 minutes of forward bend while I read the morning news?
I went to Aikido last Sunday, but haven't been back since. One of my classmates was, uh, somewhat hard-core, and I felt like I pulled something in my shoulder. (I also got to class late, and probably didn't warm-up as much as I could have). Nothing major, thankfully; the soreness went away after a day or two, but I didn't want to take chances and over-do it. I hope to be back for class tomorrow morning.
I pulled a 12-hour day yesterday to try to get a draft of a handbook section done for work, so today was 'catch-up day.' After last night's workout, I literally unplugged my alarm clock, took out the batteries, and let myself sleep as long as I wanted to--which turned out to be about 9 hours.
And I finally got to the challenges today. So, for the record:
1. 12 hits with the ping-pong ball.
2. 'Cold,' morning forward bend: finger-tips 2/3 of the way down my shins. (Ugh.)
3. Standing jump: 8 feet and 8 & 5/8 inches (2.657 m).
Meditation seems very 'hit' or miss; if I'm tired or have something planned post-work-out, then my thoughts tend to drag me along for whatever ride they are on in the moment. Since it's getting cold again, I'll probably split up the work-out & stretching/meditation, taking the latter back inside where it's easier to relax--and avoid frost-bite.
Now to catch up with the rest of the team--hopefully everybody had a solid week!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Days 8, 9 & 10--and a reunion
The rest of day 8 went well; the weather was warmer than it has been, and I managed to do everything--including the meditation--in the park. Here are a couple of the work-out stations where I normally camp out. I use the first for incline pull-ups; the second, triceps dip. Due to the slant on the bar below, I rotate sides.
As we work up to vertical, I hope to graduate up to the big leagues and start using the actual pull-up bar. More photos to follow.
I may eventually bring the meditation inside; as it gets warmer, there are going to be many more people out and about, presenting more distractions. At this point, at least, I'd prefer some quiet and calm during this time.
The diet also goes well; here is this evening's fare. Mixed greens with chopped peppers, carrots, cucumber, and zucchini, with sauteed shrimp & fresh squeezed lemon:
I do have an admission, however. I had a brief lapse on Monday.
Not the work-out; that was fine. I was once again able to get it done indoors, in my room, including jump rope.
No, the lapse was in some guacamole and, later, some hummus & veggies, during my trip to Philadelphia. But then it's not every day--or month, or even decade, really--that you get to see off a fellow PCP graduate and KFBer Jenny "The Paddle" Haddle as she heads overseas to Zambia:
And I did take a tiny, baby-sip of that high-end tequila that Jenny is hoisting, though given the octane level, I think most of it evaporated before it cleared the back of my throat.
We met at the airport, then drove down to the hotel and spent time in downtown Philly. It was great catching up to Jenny, and reminiscing about our days in Morocco as volunteers. Being in DC, I probably had more updates on our compadres then she did, though I'm glad she managed to keep in touch with a couple members of our crew. And yes, she is still in killer shape. And yes, she packed a jump-rope. Two, I believe. (Sadly, we did not pass by--or I didn't notice--any sturdy hanging bars or ledges. The pull-up showdown will have to wait until another day). What was striking was seeing how calm and collected Jenny was. Excited to be going, definitely--but somehow more at ease. Her Gonfu is still strong.
We hung out with several of the other trainees before we had to say our good-byes. Or, really, 'see-you-laters'--southern Africa is on my bucket list, and there's no better time to go than when your friends are already there with some couch (floor?) space.
I'll close out with this pic--I think it kicks ass:
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Days 6 & 7
Thursday was not a fun work-day; long, and stressful. So it was good I saved the workout for after work. Rope, strength, and agility all done in the park, the stretching and meditation back in the apartment.
Friday was good; I enjoyed my last few meals 'out' before I start spending more time in the kitchen prepping meals, and said goodbye to my last 'occasional' Aztec Chai. The barister probably knew is was my last for a while, at least subconsciously--he accidentally gave me a large, served in a cartoonishly over-sized mug. My 'wide angel forward bend' is currently none of the above; it's more like a 'narrow-angle upright slouch.' I had to grab the carpet and pull myself down to feel any kind of stretch otherwise, I felt like I was just going to tumble backwards. I had crammed in the workout just before going to a party, so during my 10 minutes of 'watching the mind' was more like 10 minute mental version of Sylvester Stalone's Rocky 'chasing the chicken'. It's tough to meditate when you have somewhere else to be, and you know you are behind schedule getting there. Of course, I really wasn't that late, the party kept going until 1 a.m., and I had a great time.
Day 8--Part I
Today is the first day back on the scales & measured diets. I've been here before, nothing new, and I'm looking forward to getting creative with my food again--and trying to branch out and try some new things. It's winter time, so I'm thinking of doing a lot more squash in the diet, since there is a lot more squash to do. I did the morning forward bend, and will hit the other challenges later this afternoon, after my workout. This is going to be interesting...
Friday was good; I enjoyed my last few meals 'out' before I start spending more time in the kitchen prepping meals, and said goodbye to my last 'occasional' Aztec Chai. The barister probably knew is was my last for a while, at least subconsciously--he accidentally gave me a large, served in a cartoonishly over-sized mug. My 'wide angel forward bend' is currently none of the above; it's more like a 'narrow-angle upright slouch.' I had to grab the carpet and pull myself down to feel any kind of stretch otherwise, I felt like I was just going to tumble backwards. I had crammed in the workout just before going to a party, so during my 10 minutes of 'watching the mind' was more like 10 minute mental version of Sylvester Stalone's Rocky 'chasing the chicken'. It's tough to meditate when you have somewhere else to be, and you know you are behind schedule getting there. Of course, I really wasn't that late, the party kept going until 1 a.m., and I had a great time.
Day 8--Part I
Today is the first day back on the scales & measured diets. I've been here before, nothing new, and I'm looking forward to getting creative with my food again--and trying to branch out and try some new things. It's winter time, so I'm thinking of doing a lot more squash in the diet, since there is a lot more squash to do. I did the morning forward bend, and will hit the other challenges later this afternoon, after my workout. This is going to be interesting...
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Days 4 & 5
Day 4 the workout was done in the evening, in the 'gym' in my apartment building. I spent a good deal of the remainder of the evening cooking, before crashing well after 12 a.m. At least the dinner was right on target:
Ground bison, a few sweet potatoe slices, and a salad with lettuce, peppers, carrots, avocado. And a few walnuts.
Day 5 was not pretty--I was up far too late the night before. I managed to get in the workout in the morning, but I was dead tired by afternoon. I ended up sucking down two Aztec Chai lattes to keep going. I'm taking an Improv class right now. It's mostly for fun, but I also don't want my social and public speaking skills to atrophy, much as I don't want to see my abs, triceps and biceps disappear. One of the consequences of the late night and caffeine abuse was that I was hungry, thirsty, and tired all throughout the class, and I felt it--I wans't nearly as focused and present, and it wasn't nearly as fun as the previous sessions.
Lesson learned. Tomorrow I'm hitting re-set; sleeping in (a little), moving KFB to the evening, and pushing back Aikido to the weekend. To have Kung Fu, I will need do a better job of keeping a Kung-schedule...
Ground bison, a few sweet potatoe slices, and a salad with lettuce, peppers, carrots, avocado. And a few walnuts.
Day 5 was not pretty--I was up far too late the night before. I managed to get in the workout in the morning, but I was dead tired by afternoon. I ended up sucking down two Aztec Chai lattes to keep going. I'm taking an Improv class right now. It's mostly for fun, but I also don't want my social and public speaking skills to atrophy, much as I don't want to see my abs, triceps and biceps disappear. One of the consequences of the late night and caffeine abuse was that I was hungry, thirsty, and tired all throughout the class, and I felt it--I wans't nearly as focused and present, and it wasn't nearly as fun as the previous sessions.
Lesson learned. Tomorrow I'm hitting re-set; sleeping in (a little), moving KFB to the evening, and pushing back Aikido to the weekend. To have Kung Fu, I will need do a better job of keeping a Kung-schedule...
Monday, February 7, 2011
Day 3
Workout: Good, still outside, did all three sections back-to-back in the park. No one has me confused with someone with schizophrenia and tried to offer counseling and meds--yet. (Or they are just too scared to approach when I'm punching and kicking).
Dinner--basically same as Saturday, but with no sweet potatoes. Sunday's was not my usual Superbowl carb-a-thon, but I did have an extra piece of pita with hummus, and snacked on walnuts and peanuts. Probably calorie-dense enough to call carbs, so they won't be making an encore appearance after 5 p.m.
I had my first Aikido class of the week, and it went well. Though I'm a little sore, and my joints are starting to feel firey, at least the toes. One of the questions I thought of today was how I should schedule KFB workouts with Aikido. The classes are pretty flexible; I can go Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings, or any evening of the week. I'm a little hesitant to do them back-to-back, just to keep the stress off the joints. For now, I'm thinking morning KFB, with Monday and Thursday evening Aikido, with an odd Saturday thrown in (pun intended) if Thursday night turns social.
As I mentioned during the PCP, sleep is important, and it's going to take some more discipline to make sure I get my 8 in every night.
On that note...
Dinner--basically same as Saturday, but with no sweet potatoes. Sunday's was not my usual Superbowl carb-a-thon, but I did have an extra piece of pita with hummus, and snacked on walnuts and peanuts. Probably calorie-dense enough to call carbs, so they won't be making an encore appearance after 5 p.m.
I had my first Aikido class of the week, and it went well. Though I'm a little sore, and my joints are starting to feel firey, at least the toes. One of the questions I thought of today was how I should schedule KFB workouts with Aikido. The classes are pretty flexible; I can go Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings, or any evening of the week. I'm a little hesitant to do them back-to-back, just to keep the stress off the joints. For now, I'm thinking morning KFB, with Monday and Thursday evening Aikido, with an odd Saturday thrown in (pun intended) if Thursday night turns social.
As I mentioned during the PCP, sleep is important, and it's going to take some more discipline to make sure I get my 8 in every night.
On that note...
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